Suction cleaner



H. B. WHITE SUCTION CLEANER Feb. 21, 195o 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June23, 1945 ,z r 5M. a.

SUCTION CLEANER Filed June 25, 1945 s sheets-sheef y @www H. B. WHITESUCTION CLEANER Feb. 21, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 23, 1945 m @y@v LSSS Patented F eb. 2l, 195() sUorrroN CLEANER Harry B. White,Canton, Ohio, assigner to The Hoover Company,v North Canton, Ohio, acorporation; of Ohio Application J une 23, 1945, Serial No. 601,177

(Cl. 18S- 58) l The present invention relates to suction cleaners ingeneral and more particularly to an im- 'proved bag-cleaning mechanismin a suction cleaner; More speci'ca-lly the invention comprises a tanktype cleaner in which collected foreign material can be removed from thefilter by operator-operated means while in place in the machine.

It is van object of the present invention to provide av new and improvedsuction cleaner. Itis another object' of the invention to provide newand improved; filter-cleaning means inv a suction cleaner: A stillfurther object of the invention is to provide a new and improved tankcleaner in which foreign' material can be dislodged from the dirt iilterand emptied ontor al receiving' surface without the necessity ofremoving the lter from the cleaner; Still another object of theinvention is to provide a tankl type suction cleaner in which, upon themachine being placed upon` one end, the operator can `clean the dirtfilter by the application of a force to effect the vibration andshakingA of the lter. Still another object of the invention is toprovide a tank type -cleaneradapted to rest, in the lter-cleaningoperation, with an open end uponv a supporting surface, and in whichmanually operable bag-shaking. means are providedv by 'which theoperator can shake the lter to dislodge foreign material which fallsupon the supporting surface. A still further objectA of the invention isto provide a bag-shaking mechanism by which the operator, by theexertionvof al linearorce, shakes the lter bag to dislodge foreignmaterial' therefrom. A further object of:v the invention isto provide atank type cleaner having a bag-shaking mechanism including a normallyretracted operating pedal which moves into a projecting operatingposition upon placing the machine in a bag-cleaning relationship. TheseandV other more specic objects will appear upon reading the followingspecication and claims and upon considering in connection therewith theattached drawings to which they' relate. Referringy now to theI drawingsin. which a preferred embodiment ofY the invention is disclosed, and inwhich the same reference character refers rto the same part throughout:

Figure 1 Ais a longitudinal vertical section through a cleanerconstructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section upon the lineA 2 2 of' Figureyl anddiscloses. the coil vspring which is' loadedf in the bag-sliakingoperation;

pending curved lip 1 which seats within a pocket ring lll" to the sidesof which are secured rigid shaft El is rotatably'mounted and the pins 22the shaft and its opposite endv extended under Figure 3 is a partialbottom view ofthe cleaner looking in the direction of' the arrows uponthe line 3-3 of Figure l, part of the outer casing being broken away andthe actuating pedal being shown in its operative position;

Figure 4 is a partial showing of` the structure illustrated in Figure,the actuating' pedaly being movedv tothe inoperative or retractedposition;

Figure 5 is a view looking in the direction of the arrovvs upon the line5--5 of FigureV 3.

Al tank typecleaner is illustrated in the dra-wings and is seen tocomprise an outer elongated casing i. Casing I is sl'idably supported bylongitudinally extending runners 2; Its opposite ends are closed by endcaps 3 and' il, each of which is respectively provided with areceivingseatl 5 and 6 for a dusting tool hose unit. Cap fi, atr the suction endoi the machine, is removable; being provided at itslower edge with adeil formed at the end of a sliding lever 9- on the underside of casingi. Lever 9 is slotted and rides on a headed pin |50, being drawn byaspring Hr to hold cover 4 tightly in place. At the top side of thecasing is a manually operable latch i2y adaptedV to overlie the upperend of the cap and to clamp it against the end of the casing.

f The end of casing l normally closed by the cap lv is deiined `by axedly secured end plate i3'Which is interiorly flanged and which carriesone end of a cylindrical filter i4 positioned within casing i. A rubbersealing ring l5 is positioned in the outerface of plate i3. The.oppositefend of iilter' it is mounted upon a second brackets Il. Spacedparallel equilength arms I8 and I9 are pivotally mounted at their upperends on each bracket lf'i', thelower ends of arms i8` being rigidlyattached to shaft 2i, and the lower ends of arms |91 pivoted on pins 22.The 4 rigidly supported in a bracketv 23 attached' to the bottom of'casing l'. A coil springA 2tencircles thev shaft 2l, one of its endsbeing connected' to ment'.

. supporting surface.

Between the lter bag I4 and the end of the cleaner closed by cap 3 ispositioned the motorfan unit comprising a driving motor 26, the casingof which is secured to an adjacent fan chamber 21 having an inlet port28 and an exhaust port 29. Within the chamber 21 upon the extendedrotatable shaft of motor 26 is mounted a pair of rotatable fans 3I whichare spaced by a non-rotating guide vane element 32.

The forward end of the motor-fan unit 26, 21 is supported resiliently bya rubber ring 34 in a bulkhead 35 xedly secured within the casing i. Therearward end of the unit is supported by a second rubber ring 36 in abulkhead member 31 also secured in easing I. Member 31 is perforated, asindicated at 38, and cooperates with a removable perforated cup element39 to form a final ilter chamber 4I within which is positioned anysuitable ltering air-permeable material which may, if desired, beimpregnated with a volatile odorizing substance.

Electric current to the motor 26 is carried by leads 46 which enterthrough the casing I via the manually operable switch 41 which forms oneend of the iiexible handle 48.

With the end cap 4 removed and the cleaner tilted upon its end the iiatend ring I3, and

Vparticularly the seal I thereon, is adapted to rest in substantiallysealing relationship on a flat The bag I4 is positioned above and isopen to the supporting surface. To vibrate and shake the bag with thecleaner so positioned there is provided an operator-operable mechanismwliich includes a foot pedal 5I pivotally carried at the end of alongitudinally slidable square rod 52 which extends from within thecasing I into a recess 53 formed in the eX- terna1 underside thereof.Rod 52 passes from the casing through a suitable sealed joint indicatedgenerally at 54. Pedal 5I is normally in the retracted position,illustrated in Figure 4, as a result of its lower end being connectedvby a pin 55 to the slotted end of a connecting link 56. The oppositeend of link 56 is pivoted to the underside of the casing I at 51 and thelever 9 pivotally connects thereto at 58 a short distance from the pivotpoint 51. With the end cap 4 in place the lever 9 is pulled outwardly bythe cooperation of lip 1 with the cup 8 at the end of lever 9 and thelink 56 is pivoted in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figures 3 and4, and the pedal 5I is moved into the inoperative position shown inFigure 4. With the cap 4 removed, however, lever 6 is released and thespring I I pulls the link 56 in a counterclockwise direction. The link56, as it pivots from the position of Figure 4 to that of Figure 3,forces the end of the pedal 5I carrying pin 55 inwardly and moves thepedal into its outer operative position as shown in Figure 3.

The inner end of the square rod 52 is formed as a cylindrical extension6I which is slidingly supported by a support 62 secured to the bulkhead35. A coil spring 63 encircles the extension 6I of the shaft between thebulkhead 35 and a pin 64 at the outer end of the shaft and at all timesexerts a force which urges the shaft 52 inwardly so as to hold the lever5I at the upper or left end of the recess 53, that is, in the positionillustrated in Figures l, 3 and 4. A force upon the pedal 5I effects themovement of the shaft 52 and the compression of the spring 6I. Totransmit this force to the bag-supporting ring I6 there is provided asloping sided pivoted pawl 65 carried by a pin 6l) on shaft 52. A coilspring 66 is connected to pawl 65 and to the underside of shaft 52 andat all times exerts a pivoting force which tends to move the pawl 65 ina counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 1, to the extentpermitted by the pin 61 to which the spring 66 is attached.

Fixedly mounted upon the arm-carrying rotatable shaft 2I is a lever arm1I which carries a roller 12 at its outer end which is positioned as tocontact the sloping or inclined side of pawl 65. That element movestoward the roller 12 in the movement of the shaft 52 under the actuationof a. force applied to the pedal 5I moving it to the right as viewed inFigures 1 and 3. This direction would be downward with the machinetilted on its end. As the pawl moves the roller 12 is forced upwardlyalong its inclined surface effecting the rotation of the shaft 2| and ofthe arms I8 carried thereby. Arms I 9 connected to the arms I8 by theconnecting member I1 and also the ring I6 carrying the end of the bag I4are moved. The lever arm 1I is so positioned and is of such length thatas the roller 12 travels up the inclined edge of the pawl 65 it finallyrides over the top thereof at which time the force which has been storedin the spring 24 by rotation of shaft 2I accompanying the pivoting ofthe arms I8 is released and the arms I6 and I9 move violently in acounterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figure l, thereby moving thebag ring I6 toward the left to jerk the bag taut. Any collected foreignmaterial is vibrated loose from the bag surface by this shaking action.The shaft 52 together with the pawl 65 can continue toward the right asviewed in Figures 1 and 3 until the pedal 5i reaches the end of therecess 53 at which time, if the operator-exerted force is released, theshaft and pedal move back to their original position, that illustratedin Figures 1 and 3, under the urging of the spring 63. Pawl 65 movesunder the roller 12, pivoting downwardly as it does so, and extends thecoil spring 66 which immediately snaps it back to its normal andillustrated position upon passing by the roller.

The construction is shown and has been described with the machinepositioned horizontally but actually the machine would be turned up onend, the cap 4 being removed, and the end plate I3 resting directly upona supporting iioor or surface. This would mean that the operatorexertedforce would be exerted downwardly upon the pedal 5I and that thedislodged dirt would fall by gravity onto the supporting surface. Theoperation can be repeated a plurality of times, as desired, eachoperation resulting in the violent shaking of the bag as it is drawntaut under the actuation of the operator-provided energy stored in thecoil spring 24.

I 1 The operation of the cleaner constructed in accordance with thepresent invention may be briefly described as follows: The machine isplaced in operation, a suitable dusting tool hose unit being connectedto the inlet or suction port 6 in the removable end cap 4. Upon theclosing of the manually operable switch 41 electrical current passesthrough the driving motor 26 and the fans 3| rotate at high speedthereby creating a suction which is effective to draw air in through thehose, into the lter bag I4, through the wall thereof and into the spacethere-around within the main casing I, through the inlet 28 of the fanchamber, and to exhaust it through the exhaust port 26 thereof into thespace around the motor 26. The air makes its exit from the machinethrough the exhaust port 5 having first passed through the final filter4I. Should 'the which may be of anydesired and well known type, areattached to the exhaust'port inthe cap 3 rather `than to the inlet port6in the removable cap 4.

After the machine .has been used for ya considerable period of time andforeign material has collected within the filter bag i4 the. resistancethereof to the passage of `air therethrough `increases and, in order tomaintain the machine at Vits maximum cleaning effectiveness, .it isdesirable to remove vthe foreign material. To accomplish this theoperator releases the manually operable latch l2 vthereby permitting`the end cap 4 lto tilt. outwardly at its top, as shownin Figure 1,whereupon the bottom lip 'l thereof can be withdrawn yfrom the pocket 8in the lever 9. The operator then tilts the machine so that'the endplate i3 supports the machine flat upon the surface covering, themachine then having its longitudinal or major axis extendedvertically'rather than horizontally. The machine is then ready forv thebag-cleaning operation proper.

As' the operator removed the end cap `4 the effect of the withdrawal ofthe lip l' from lthe pocket 8 was to release the lever 9 whereupon thecoil spring i I on the underside of the cleaner was free to pivot thelink 56 in a counterclockwise direction, that is, from the positionillustrated in Figure 4 to that illustrated in Figure 3. This effectedthe movement of the foot pedal 5i from Athe retracted position of Figure4 tothe extended surface. Simultaneously with one foot he exerts -adownward force upon the foot pedal. 5i.

This force results in the movement of theshaft 52 and the pivotalmovement of the bag-carrying arms i8 and I9, as described, and thesubsequent snapping action on the bag under the vactuation of the coilspring 24 as previously described. Preferably the operator will releasethe pedal 5I permitting it to move upwardly under the actuation of thecoil spring 63 on the shaft. 52 and will repeat the downward force aplurality of times with the result that all foreign material lcollectedupon the bag surface is dislodged and falls through the open end of themachine to collect upon the supporting surface.

After the operation has been completedv the operator need only lift themachine andrestore it to its horizontal position thereafter replacingthe cap 4 by inserting lip l in the pocketv 8: and pivoting the cap fromthe position illustrated in Figure 1 in full lines to the positionillustrated by the dotted line upper portion of. the cap at which timethe operation of the latch i2 will iixedly lockv the end capplace and.the machine Ais again ready for use.

I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner of the type. having an enclosing casing housinga filter and rsuctioncreating means to move a dirt-laden air streamtherethrough during normal surfacey cleaning.; a removable end cap forsaid housing adjacent' said filter, said casing being adapted torestupon its open end with saidi end. cap removed', means within saidcasini,r toi dislodge dirt from. said. filter :so that; said dirt mayfall through said open end,

and. operator-operatedimeans connected with said dirtV dislodging means,and'. arranged outside of said casing out of contact with the surfaceYbeing cleaned during normal surface cleaning, saidoperatoreoperatedme'ans actuating said dirt dis.-

lodging; means when said casing isy resting on its said' open end.

2. In. a suction cleaner of the tank type including suction-creatingmeans, a filter, a casing enclosingV said suction-creatingy means andsaid filter, aremovable cover closing an open end of sai-d casingduringv normal surface cleaning which open end. adapted' to make sealingcontact with a supporting surface with saidv cover-removed and with saidcleaner tilted into its filter-cleaning position, and. in which: saidfilterA is positioned adjacent said open' end, means movably mount,-ingA a portion of said. filter, means to shake said portion of saidfilter, and means including an operator-operated member extendingoutsidesaid casing out of contact with the surface being cleaned duringnormal surface cleaning, said operator-operated member transmittingv anoperator supplied actuating force to said filter shaking means to shakesaid filter to dislodge dirt. therefrom so that the dislodgedA dirt mayfall'through said open end.

3'. In a suction cleaner of the tank type` including suction-creatingmeans, a lter, a casing enclosing `said, suction-creating means and saidfilter, a removable covery closing an open end of said. casing duringnormal surface cleaning'which open endisadapted to make sealing contactwith a supporting surface with said cover removed and with said cleanertilted into its filter-cleaning position, and in which said iilter ispositioned' adjacent saidopen end; means to dislodge collected foreignmaterial from; said filter with the cleaner in itsfilter-cleaningposition so` that said dirt can fall through: saidv openend. onto an underlying surface, a pedal extended laterally from thelower end of said casing in its filter-cleaning position andoutv ofcontact with the surface being cleaned during normal surface cleaning,means mount:- ing said pedal. for bodily displacement relative tosaidcasing, spring means urging said pedal to its uppermost position andadapted to bodily return said pedal to said position after beingdepressed by@ a downward force thereon, a for-cetransmitting'means totransmit a downward. force on saidv pedal into a dirt-dislodging for-ceat said means to` dislodge collected foreign material.

4-.In ak suction cleaner of the tank type including suction-creatingmeans', a filter, a casing enclosing said suction-creating means and'.said filter, a removable cover closing an open end-of said casing whichopen end isI adapted to make sealing contactY with a supporting surfacewith said cover removed and with said cleaner tilted into its.filter-cleaning position, andv in which said filter is positionedadjacent sai-d open, end; meansito vibrate said filter to displaceadherent foreign. materialA therefrom so. thatv said material can fall`throughsaid open end onto anunderlying surface, means to impart: an.actuatingl force to saidy laste-mentioned means including manuallyoperatedY means adapted toy receive an operator applied force,andseparatemeans to return said manually operated means to.- itsforce-receiving position upon its release.- from. said operator ari--`plied force.

5. Inv a suction cleaner, an. elongated casing, means.I to. support.said casing movably with. its

major axis. extended; horizontally/, a. removable `cover for the end ofsaid casing, said casing, with said cover removed, presenting an openend adapted to seal upon a supporting surface to support said casingwith its major axis extended vertically, a filter bag in said casingwithits open end opening toward the open end ci said casing, supportingmeans supporting the closed end of said bag including spring meansexerting a force to vdraw taut the side wall of said bag, and means to.move said supporting means to release the tautness in the bag wall andto store energy in said spring and including cam means to suddenlyrelease said supporting means whereupon said .spring means jerks saidbag wall taut to dislodge collected foreign material.

6. In a suction cleaner, an elongated casing, means to support saidcasing movably with its major axis extended horizontally, a removablecover for the end of said casing, said casing, with said cover removed,presenting an open end adapted to seal upon a supporting surface tosupport said casing with its major axis extended vertically, a iilterbag in said casing with its open end opening toward the open end of saidcasing, supporting means supporting the closed end of said bag includingspring means exerting a force to draw taut the side wall of said bag,actuating means to move said supporting means to relax the tautness ofsaid bag wall and including cam means to abruptly release saidsupporting means to the action of the stored energy of said springmeans, said actuating means including a foot pedal extended laterallyrom said casing adapted to receive a downward force with said casingsupported on its open end.

'7. In a suction cleaner, an elongated casing, means to support saidcasing movably with its major axis extended horizontally, a removablecover for the end of said casing, said casing, with said cover removed,presenting an open end adapted to seal upon a supporting surface tosupport said casing with its major axis extended vertically, a filter insaid casing adjacent the open end thereof and through which dirt-ladenair Vthrough said cleaner passes, means to dislodge dirt from said lterso that it may fall through the open end of said casing onto asupporting surface with said casing supported on said open end, andoperator-operated means to actuate said last-mentioned means including apedal nor- `mally extended alongside the exterior of said casing ininoperative position, and means actuated by removal of said cover formoving said pedal into a lateral operative position relative to saidcasing whereby said pedal may be operated 'to actuate said dirtdislodging means.

8. In a suction cleaner, an elongated casing, .means to support saidcasing movably with its major axis extended horizontally, a removablecover for the end of said casing, said casing, with said cover removed,presenting an open end -adapted to seal upon a supporting surface tosupport said casing with its major axis extended vertically, la filterbag in said casing with its open end opening toward the open end of saidcasing, a bag frame at the closed end of lsaid bag holding said bagdistended, a pair ci supporting arms upon each side of said framemounting said frame for movement toward and from said open end, a springexerting a pivoting force on said arms to move said frame from said openend and to draw the side Wall of said bag taut, and means to pivot saidsupporting arms against the force of said spring to relax the tautnessin said side wall and including means to release said .arms to =move'under the force of said spring to jerk said bag side wall taut, andoperator-operated means to actuate said last-mentioned means.

9. In a suction cleaner, an elongated casing, means to support saidcasing movably with its major axis extended horizontally, a removablecover for the end of said casing, said casing, with said cover removed,presenting an open end adapted to seal upon a supporting surface tosupport said casing with its major axis extended vertically, a filterbag in said casing with its open end opening toward the open end of saidcasing, supporting means supporting the closed end of said lter bagincluding pivotally mounted means, a coil spring at the pivotal axis ofsaid last-mentioned means exerting a force thereon to draw taut the sidewall of said bag, means to move said supporting means to relieve thetautness of said bag and to store energy in said coil spring andincluding means to suddenly release said supporting means whereupon saidspring is enabled to jerk said bag taut to dislodge collected foreignmaterial.

10. In a suction cleaner, suction-creating means, a filter, a casingenclosing said suctioncreating means and said filter, filter-shakingmeans to dislodge collected foreign material from said filter, aremovable cover closing an open end of said casing through which saiddislodged foreign material may be removed, and means controlled by saidcover and connected with said filter shaking means for preventingoperation of the latter when said cover closes said open end of saidcasing.

11. In a suction cleaner, suction-creating means, a filter, a casingenclosing said suctioncreating means and said filter, filter-shakingmeans to dislodge collected foreign material from vsaid ilter, aremovable cover closing an open end of said casing through which saiddislodged foreign material may be removed, and means controlled by saidcover for maintaining said ltershaking means inoperative when said covercloses said open end of said casing, said means connected with saidcover and operated upon removal of said cover to release said ltershaking means for dislodging the foreign material from said lter.

12. In a suction cleaner, suction-creating means, a lter, a casingenclosing said suctioncreating means and said filter, filter-shakingmeans to dislodge collected foreign material from said filter, aremovable cover closing an open end of said casing through which saiddislodged foreign material may be removed, latch means for locking saidcover to said casing in closed position, and means connected to saidcover and iltershaking means for urging said cover away from said casingtoward its removed position upon release of said latch means.

13. In a suction cleaner, a filter, a casing enclosing said lter,filter-shaking means to dislodge foreign material from said lter, aremovable cover closing an open end of said casing through which thedislodged foreign material may be removed, latch means for securing saidcover to said casing, and means connecting said cover latch means tosaid filter-shaking means to prevent operaton of the latter when said`latch means secure said cover to said casing.

14. In a suction cleaner, an elongated casing, a removable cover for oneend of said casing, said casing with said cover removed presenting anopen end adapted to seal upon a supporting surface to support saidcasing in filter cleaning position, .nlterisupportina means including,resilient means to maintain said lter in one positionnwith respect tosaid `casing open end, moving meafnsffor moving said lter supportingmeans against fthe force of said resilient means to shift said` filterto another position, `cam means to release sadlnoving means from. saidlter supporting means and the influence of said resilient means to'permit the latter to abruptly snap said filter baclto its said oneposition to dislodge dirt from said filter through said casing open endonto the vsupporting surface, and operator-operated Ineans for actuatingsaid moving means. f'

HARRY B.

REFERES CITED The following referenes are of record in the le of thispatent: """f' 5 UNITED s'rajins PATENTS Number Name` Date 1,933,105Forsberg e Oct. 31, 1933 2,304,309 Leathers Dec. 8, 1942 10FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date '700,388 Germany- Mar. 6, 1941

